YEREVAN, DECEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. 35% of the national collection consisting of 400.000 items in the History Museum of Armenia are archaeological items excavated in Armenia. Among them are wooden carriages of the Bronze Age, ritual hearths excavated from the tribal leaders’ mausoleums, bronze sculptures, weapons, jewelry, tableware, cups and belts made of multi-layered scenes that testify the beliefs of ancestors, cosmic perceptions, beliefs symbolizing the idea of sun, water an fertility.

ARMENPRESS launches a new project where the exclusive findings kept in the History Museum and their histories will be presented. Let’s start the list from 10 the most interesting cups, and then will go to the history of swords.

The 40-century-old cup of Karashamb which depicts a whole myth

More than 40-century-old cup has a unique place in the archeological collection of the History Museum of Armenia which was found in 1987 by archeologist Vahan Hovhannisyan during the excavations in Karashamb village.

Julieta Karapetyan, senior researcher at the archaeological department of the History Museum of Armenia, told Armenpress that the silver cup has been discovered in the “royal” tomb together with other numerous valuable items. It is a unique example of the ancient Eastern iconography and has a unique significance in understanding the spiritual and material culture of the Bronze Age Armenia. “The presence of the cup proves that the region has been a serious production and cultural center”, she said, adding that the cup of Karashamb is the most ancient monument.

Julieta Karapetyan said that the Karashamb cup is also a unique sample of applied art. The craftsman managed to present the myth on the cup with all details and with exceptional skills. Images of 25 people, 36 animals and more than 60 different subjects are depicted on the cup.

The cup of Karashamb has been displayed in different museums of the world, in particular, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York, the History Museum of Russia and etc.